Apparatus for coating and drying fabric and other material



Sept. 1, 1925.

P. 5. SMITH APPARATUS FOR COATING AND DRYING FABRIC AND OTHER MATERIAL1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26 Jiiverflar.

Sept. -1, 1925. 1 1,551,913

P. 5. SMITH APPARATUS F'QR COATING AND DRYING FABRIC AND OTHER MATERIALil April 26. 1920 s Sheds-Sheet 2 I J I zoqnaowcmozg fiiyer-zibf. i v

Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,913

' P. 5. SMITH APPARATUS F63 COATING AND DRYING FABRIC AND OTHER MATERIALFiled April 26, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 V atented Sept. 1, 192 5.

PAUL s. SMITH, or wnsr nnnizmeron, .enonn ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY mnsnn AS-SIG-NMENTS, GORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TO OBANNON COMPANY, 013

WEST BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND, A.

MPARATUS FOB GOATING AND IIJRYILNG FABRIC AND OTHEEB MATERIAL.

Application filed April 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Barrington, in the county of Bristol and State of RhodeIsland, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus .for Coating andDrying Fabric and Other Material, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus of the type set forth in myco-pending application, Serial #369,823, filed March 29,1920, forcoating and drying fabrics and other material in the web.

An object of this invention is to provide.

means, in combination with the drying chamber, and the coating andwinding means, to receive the fabric as it passes from the coating meansand support and transport it through the drying chamber and deliver itto the winding means, thereby to relieve the fabric from tension chamberand prevent the pulling-down or narrowing of the fabric. I

The means by which this object is attained comprises an endlesscarrier-belt passed over supporting and .driving rolls and through thedrying chamber adapted to receivev the coated material and transport itthrough the drying chamber to be dried.

A further object of the invention resides in the novel construction ofthe carrier-belt by which the fabric is securely held against slippingat all important points of'contact.

A yet further objectis to provide means whereby successive coatings maybe applied to the web, practically Without interrupting the continuityof the coating process.

Another object is generally to improve the construction and operation ofcoating and drying apparatus of the type set forth.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one embodiment of the. inventionwith the drying chamber shown in section, and illustrating one form oftake-off and windlng means for the dry coated material.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the coating and delivery end ofthe apparatus, illustrating a modified form of takeoff and winding meansfor the dry coated material. Fig. 3 is a plan detail,,partly insection,illustrating the friction driving; means for the winding means of Fi 2.

4 is a vertical section'through an inwithin the drying termediateportion of the drying chamber, along line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the drying chamber and carrier-beltdriving roll, along line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is aside detail of the tension roll,

coating knife and receiving end of thecarrier-belt, illustrating thecharacter. of the face of the tension roll and belt, and the manner ofinitially attaching the material to be coated to the belt.

Fig 7 is a plan detail of the carrier-belt material-engaging means.

As here shown the drying and coating apparatus in which my inventionisembodied includes the horizontal, U-shaped drying chamber having theupper drying section 10, the lower drying section 11, and the endconnecting section 12. The wet coated ma terial is introduced within theend of the upper section through the inlet slot '13 and the dry coatedmaterial is removed from the.

end of the lower section through the exit slot 14; and the receiving anddelivering ends are at the'same side of the drying chamber. ing means 15are arranged in the top of the upper section to be over the coatedmaterial, and in the bottom of the lower section to be beneath thecoated material, whereby to assist in drying the coating. A pipe 16 incommunication with the interior of the lower.

Pipe coils or other suitable heat-- section of the drying chamber nearits-exit end serves to admita current of dry air therein which isadapted to circulate along the coated-material counter to its directionof traverse through the drying chamber to abstract the solvent from thecoating; and the solvent-charged air finally passes from "the uppersection of the drying chamber through the pipe 17 in communicationtherewith near its inlet end.

system and a solvent recovery system as,

illustrated in my above-named eta-pending application may be employedwith advantageous results. i r

An important component of my invention l So far as this invention isconcerned, the

is the endless carrier-beIt-IS on which the; coated material is adaptedto be received as it passes from the coatin device a and by which it issupported an transported through the upper and lower sections of extendbeyond the level of the bottom and top Walls of both sections ofthed'ryingchamber, and an idler roll of similar diameter. is rotatablysupported without the tion and, through of extended the drying chamberadjacent the inlet and delivery ends thereof. The carrier-belt is passedover said rolls and through the inlet slot 13 and exit slot 14 of thedrying chamber. Said driving roll has a length equal to and preferablysomewhat greater than the width of the carrier-belt and is fixed to theshaft 21 which is j-ournalled in the side walls of the dryin chamber andhas an end theredieyond a side wall. A gear 22 is fixed to said extendedend and saidgear mesheswith a ing shaft 24 w ich is rotatably supportedin suitable bearings. As a conv nient means for driving said shaft 24, apulley 25 is fixed thereto over which the driving belt 26 is passed andwhich is adapted to be driven by some power source not shown.

The arrangement above set forth provides speed-reducing means fordriving the carrier-belt at a suitable rate.

The idler roll 20 is fixed to a shaft 27 journalled in bearings28 whichare slidably arr-an ed in the supporting'member 29 whereby t ecarrier-belt may be adjusted for proper tension.

The carrie -belt is supported within the upper section of the dryingchamber above bottom walls thereof by suitable supporting means hereinillustrated as the spreader-bars 30 which are of suitable height and aresuitably spaced-apart along the bottom. wall of the section. In thelower section the rollers 31 are provided for the same purpose, therollers, however, engaging and supporting the coated material duringitstraverse through the lower secthe carrier-belt.

i It is to be noted that-a free passage of dryi air -through thelower-chamber is rovi ed by spacing the supporting rollers rom thebottom wall of t e 960M011. and, futhermore, the rollers do not extendentirely across the section (see Fig. 4) by .which sage of drying air..

While I mayemploy a carrier-belt composed of canvas or otherwise soconstructed as to serve to support and transport the coated materialthrough the drying cham- A short portion 'cloth having a plurality ofwire teeth. 33

inion 23 fixed to the driv-' the material, supporting additional spaceis provided for p-as-' her, I prefer to construct the belt so that it"of the carrier-belt with the exception of a of its length at 32 withacardarranged in close order in rdws over the entire width of the beltand adapted to receive and support the coated material and having theirterminal or material-engaging portions angularly bent or inclined in thedirection of travel of the belt. Such construction is clearly indicatedin Fig. 6. By this arrangement, each tooth will firmly engage thematerial whereby the material will be engaged and supported throughoutits width but the teeth will not protrude through the material to injurethe coating. Furthermore, by reason of the teeth, some circulation ofair on the under side of the coated material may take place which willaid indrying the coating.

The driving roll' 19 also has its face covered with a card-clothcovering 35 with the teeth inclined in: the direction of rotation of theroll by which the carrier-belt will be positively engaged and rotated.

A series of spring clips 36 are disposed along the width of thecarrier-belt, on the clear portion32 thereof, being fixed to the belt bythe rivets 37 or other suitable means and serve releasingly to engageand hold the end of the material to be coated at the start of thecoating operation whereby the material will be initially carried throughthe drying chamber.

The material 40 to be coated is initially wound in a roll on the shell41 which has an axial hole therethrough, through which the supportingshaft 42 is removably extended. Said shaft is adapted also to beremovably supported in bearm s not shown. The material is extendedro-mits roll, over the lower idler roll 43, about the tension roll 44suitably supported'in bearings not shown,

the upper idler roll 45 and under the coating I knife or doctor blade 46to the carrier belt. The idler rolls serve to provide a consider- I ablearc of contact between the material and the. tension roll and the upperidler roll also serves to support the material under the coating knife.-The tension roll is provided with .the brake drum 47 and band 48 bywhich the tension of the material under the coating knife may beadjusted. The face of the tension-roll also is provided with thecard-cloth coating 49 with the teeth thereof inclined oppositely to thedirection of travel of the material whereby the more firmly to engageand hold the fabric and maintain a uniform tension.

The space between the tension roll and the receiving end of the carrierbelt is comparatively short and as the material to be coated is intension only over this space, being otherwise free from tension, theullin' down or narrowing effect of the abric 1s inappreciable.

As the coated material passes from the lower section of the dryingchamber-in dry form' it is removed from the carrier-belt and wound intoa roll; and in Fig. 1 there is illustrated one arrangement by which thisresult is accomplished. A shaft50 is rotatably supported in the arms 51arranged on each side'of and below the carrier-belt at the delivery endof the drying chamber and pivoted to the support 52 and the shell 53 onwhich the roll of dried coated material is to be wound is removablyreceivedthereon. Said arms 51 extend beyond said support 52and; have thecounter-balance weight 54 preferably adju'stably received on saidextension by which said roll is maintained in contact with the carrierbelt, preferably at the point where it passes about the idler roll 20,and is. driven thereby as the mate rial is Wound thereon, the drivebeing through the wound material. By this .arrangement, the peripheralspeed of winding the roll will be that of the delivery of dried coatedmaterial to the roll.

Whereas in Fig. 1 the winding roll is actuated by the carrier belt, forsome purposes it willbe desirable to employ other ,winding means and, inFig. 2 a modified device.

uniform peripheral form of winding means is illustrated.

In this modification, a guide roll 55 is disposed beneath and insupporting position with the carrier-belt at the exit end ofthe dryingchamber. The dry coated material, as it emerges from the drying chamber,is removed from said belt'and passed down wardly over said roll to ashell 56 on which it is to be wound arranged in the winding Said shellhas a square axial borewhich-is received over the correspondinglysquared.

portion of the shaft 57 by which-it is rotated. Said shaft is arrangedto permit the removal of the roll of wound material from the windingdevice; and the winding device is arranged to drive the roll of materialat a speed as the material is being wound iii the roll. To admit of thisresult the shaft is formed with the cylindrical end-bearing portion 57which is rotatably and removably supported in the supporting bearing 58;and the opposite and square end of the shaft is removably received in asquarevrecess in the end-portion 59 of the shaft 60, which latter isrotatably supported in the bearing 61. Aclutch memher having theoutwardly extended flange 62 formed with a clutching surface and the hub63 is received on the end of said shaft 60 on the other side of saidbearing-61.. Said hub 63 extends beyond theend of said shaft apparatussto covered tension-roll to form a bearing for the power-actuated shaft64, supported in the bearing 65. A

clutch-member by the spring 72 encircling said shaft and bearing againstthe hub of the hand-wheel 73.

Said hand-wheel is screw-threaded on said shaft, and, by rotating it onthe shaft, the tension of the spring 72, and consequently the frictionalengage ment of the clutch-members may be adjusted, wghereby the windingtension may be varie The driving belt is arranged to drive i the shell56 at a somewhat greater peripheral rate than the rate at which thematerial is delivered to the winding mechanism for winding, thedifference for by the slipping of the clutch ;-'and as the roll ofmaterial increases in diameter, the

slipping will increase.

After the web of material has been coated and wound on the shell 56 andthe winding ped, the wound roll may be disconnected rom the apparatus byremoving the shaft .57 from the shell and its suprporting bearings; andthe roll may be taken away.

It is sometimes desirable to apply successive coatings to the materialand for this purpose the wound roll of coated material,

removed from the Winding apparatus, may

be turned end for end and placed between the supporting bearings, notshown, for the shaft 42 and said shaft inserted through the bore of theshell 56 and in its bearings. The

'web is then again threaded throu h the machine.

-Due to the proximity o the supporting devices for the material to becoated and the coated material, the transfer of the roll of materialfrom one position to the' other requires but a short amount of time'whereby'the coating process is practically continuous.

he operation of the machine is as follows:

A roll of material to be coated wound on the shell 41-, is placed on theshaft 42 and the free end of the material is carried successively aboutthe roll 4.3, the card-cloth 44, the roll 45, under and secured underthe the coating knife 46 spring-clips 36 of the carrier belt, which willhave been so moved that said clips are ex.- posed on the upper stretchofthe belt 'bewinding mechanism is being compensated through tween theidlerroll 20 and the inlet end of the drying chamber. Suitable tensionisthen applied to the materialby turning. the tension-roll 44 by hand in adirection opposed to the directionof'r'novement of the material andadjusting the brake to the desired degree. A mass of coating substanceis then placed the coating knife and the carrier belt is set in motion.

The coated material is thereby transported by the belt through theuppersectionof the on the material in front of.

through the drying chamber, said carrier belt having a plurality ofweb-engaging teeth extended transversely across said belt. 4. In acoating and dry ng apparatus for .material in the web, the combinationof coating means for the material, a drying chamber, winding .means forthe dry coated materialfmeans to receive the coated mate'- rial fromthe-coating means and transport it through the drying chamber anddeliver the drying chamber, about the carrier-belt driving roll 19, andthrough the lower section of the drying chamber over the rolls 31 andissues from the chamber through the exit slot 14. The end of thematerial is then detached from the spring clips and passed about theshell 53, Fig. 1, or over the roll 55 and about the shell 56, Fig. 2,preferably without stopping the machine, and

the material is wound thereo'nL When the entire web of -m aterial hasbeen passed the drying chamber, the machine is stopped and the roll ofcoated-material is transferred to the first position or removed and aroll ofuncoated material placed in position for coating and theoperation is repeated;

I claim:

-1. In a coating and drying apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of coating means. for the material, receiving means for thedry coated material, a U- shaped horizontally arranged drying chamher,and means to receive the coated material from the coating means andtrans port it through the drying chamber and deliver the dry coatedmaterial to the receiving means. v

' 2. In a coating and dryingapparatus for material in the web, thecombination of chamber having an. upper inlet slot and a ed to receivecoating means for the material, a drying.

lower exitslot on the same side thereof, a

winding roll adjacent the exit slot to receive the dry coated web, andan endless carrier belt extended through said slots into the drying fromthe coating means and through the entrance slot into the drying. hamberand through and out ofthe drying chamber through the exit slot and intodirect. contact with said winding roll. a

3. In a coating and drying apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of coating means for. the material, a drying chamber, wmdingmeans for the dry coate material "and means to receive the coatedchamber arranged to receive the wet coated web transport it dry coatedmaterial to the winding means,

zontal endless carrier-belt extended between supporting rolls throughsaid sections adapttransport it through the upper section and thencethrough the lower section of the drying chamber and deliver the drycoated material to the winding means.

6. Drying apparatus for material in the webincluding web-receivingmeans, a dry-' ing chamber having horizontal su posed upper and lower-dring sectlons, a horizontal endless carrier-belt having its upper portionsection and its lower portion exten the coated material, a drying thewet coated material-and extended through the upper throu h the lower.section of the drying chambera apted to receire wet coated material'onits upper fportion and carry it throu h the sections 0 it to saidweb-receiving means, and means to of the belt in its passage through thelower section of'the drying c amber.

'7. Drying apparatus for material in web includinga drying chamberhaving horizontal superimposed upper and lower drying sections, ahorizontal endless carrierbelt. having its upper portion extendedthrough the upper section and its lower portion extended through thelower section of the drying chamber adapted 'to receive wet coatedmaterial on its upper portion and carry it throughthe sections of'thedrying material from the coating means'and trans port it through thedrying chamber and deliverthe dry coated material to the winding means,comprising a carrier belt extended between the coating and winding meansand.

chamber, and also the carrier belt in its passage through the lowersection of the drying chamber.

8. In a coating and drying apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of coating means for the material, winding the and means tosupport the material the drying chamber and eliver- 'support thematerial on the lower portion porting roll disposed means for the drycoated material, a drying chamber having upper and lower superimposedhorizontal drying sections with adjacent inlet and exit ends and anendconnecting section, a carrier belt supporting roll disposed without andadjacent the inlet and exit e'n'dsflofthe sections, a secpnd supin theend-connection section and an endless horizontal carrier belt extendedover said rolls through said sections adapted to receive the Wet coatedmaterial from the coating means and transport it through the dryingchamber and deliver the dry coated material to the winding means. 1

9. In a coating and drying apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of coating means for the material, winding means for the drycoated material, a drying chamber having upper and lower superimposed.horizontal drying sections with adjacentinlet and exit ends and anend-connecting section, a carrier-belt supporting roll disposed withoutand adjacent the inlet and exit'ends of thesections, a carrier, beltdriving roll disposed in the end-connecting sec tion, and an endlesshorizontal carrier-belt extended between said rolls through said upperand lower sections of the drying chamber-adapted to receive the wetcoated material from the coating means and transport it through theupper section and thence to the lower section of the drying chamberand'deliver it to the winding means.

10. In a coating and drying apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of coating means for the material, winding means for the drycoated material, a drying chamber having upper and lower superimposedhorizontal drying sections with adjacent inlet and exit ends and anend-connect ing section, aw carrier-belt supporting roll disposedwithout and adjacent the inlet and exit ends of the sections, acarrier-belt driving roll disposed in the end-connecting section, and anendless horizontal carrier-belt extended between said rolls through saidupper and lower sections of the drying chamber adapted to receive thewet coated material from the coating means and transport it through theupper section and thence to the lower section of the drying chamber anddeliver it to the winding means, and rollers arrangedin the lowersection-to support the material and therethrough.

11. In a drying and coating apparatus for material in the web, devicesadapted to engage the web to cause it properly to pass through theapparatus characterized by having material engaging surfaces formed of aplurality of closely-spaced projecting teeth arranged to extendsubstantially across the width of the web.

12. In a drying and coating apparatus for the belt .in its passagematerial in the web, devices adapted to engage the Web to cause itproperly to pass through the apparatuscharacterized by having materialengaging surfaces formed of a plurality of closely-spaced projectingteeth inclined to the surface presented by them.

13 In a drying and coating apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of supporting means for a roll of uncoated ma terial,coating means for the material, a drying chamber, Winding means for thedry coated -material, an endless carrier-belt adapted to carry the Icoated material through the drying chamber, and supporting and drivingrolls for said belt, said driving roll characterized by its belt-engaging surface formed of a plurality of closely spaced-apart projectingteeth.

14. In a drying and coating apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of supporting means for aroll of uncoated material, coatingmeans for the material, a drying chamber, winding means for the drycoated material, an endless carrier-belt adapted to carry the coatedmaterial through the drying chamber, and supporting and driving rollsfor said'belt, said driving roll characterized by its apart rojectingteeth inclined to the surface 0 the roll. I

15. In a drying and coating apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of supporting means for a roll of uncoated material, coatingmeans for the material, a drying chamber, winding means for the drycoated material, and a carrier-belt adapted to receive the wet coatedmaterial from the coating means and transport it through thedryingrmeans to the winding means characterized by having amaterial-supporting surface comprising a plurality of closely spacedprojecting teeth.

16. In a drying and coating apparatus for material in the web, thecombination of sup porting means for a roll of uncoated material,coating means for the material, a drying chamber, winding means for thedrycoated material, and a carrier belt adapted to receive the wet coatedmaterial from the coating means and transport it through the dryingmeans to the winding means characterized by having a material-supportingsur-- face comprisingla plurality ofclosely spaced no a of uncoatedmateface covered with card-cloth.

18. In a coating and dryin apparatus for material in the web, thecombination ofcoating means for the material, winding means for the drycoated material, at U-shaped horizontally arranged drying chamber havingadjacent inlet and exit slots, and an endless carrier belt arranged toreceive the coated material and transport it through the inlet slot intothe drying chamber and through and out of the dryin chamber through theexit slot thereof an deliver it to the winding means.

terized by having a material-supporting sur-' ,19. In a coating anddrying apparatus for material in the web, the comblnatlon of coatingmeans 'for the material, a dryingchamher, a carrier belt-arranged toreceive the wet coated material and transport it into and through thedrying chamber to be dried and out of the dryin chamber for delivery toa winding roll, an a winding roll for the dry coated materialarranged indirect contact with the material on the carrier belt.

In testimony whereof, I-have signed my name to this specification.

"PAU s. SMITH.

